Businesses today are looking forward to embrace the new standards of a more productive and interconnected workforce. This trend is evident in creating the so-called ‘smart offices’ or responsive workplace.
Technological developments present a variety of diverse opportunities for businesses. The main idea behind creating a smart office is to use technology to optimise business tasks and optimise the way employees work. Experts believe that smart offices can enhance productivity and at the same time, keep employees happy.
Why Smart Offices Are Valuable for Businesses
The environment of your workplace should be such that it is easy to work. Smart office is an office with super functionality and apart from looking good, it is valuable for your business for the following reasons.
- Inspired by aesthetics, smart offices ensure that your employees love their workplace. On the other hand, greater efficiency, productivity and workflow make it easier for the management to lead and the employees to function.
- A smart office amazes everyone and this includes your clients. You can impress your customers and have more business referrals by having a smart office design.
What You Should Include in Smart Offices
1. Technology
Smart office technology is relative and is not limited to sleek gadgets or powerful multiprocessors. The technology you use for your smart office should make your employees faster and smarter, and look to make more efficient your processes while cutting down on overheads.
Most businesses are now using cloud technology, which streamlines tasks and improves workflow. However, when building a smart office, it is important to remember that not every business’s needs are the same.
Simply put, your workplace should be up to date with the available technology that is relevant for your business. In addition, you need to remember that what is smart for your competitor, might not be relevant in your case.
2. Lighting
According to the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety, poor lighting in offices can cause headaches, eyestrain and even mood disorders. Inclusion of more natural light in the office can improve the mood, health and productivity of employees. This is especially important if your employees have to spend long hours in front of a bright laptop screen.
3. Design and Décor
There is more than sufficient evidence to show that sitting for more than 4 hours every day is detrimental to health. You will be surprised to know that sitting in a chair for long durations is now coined as the ‘new smoking.’
Smart offices are healthy offices and the solution to sitting is to replace traditional office chairs with more ergonomic office chairs.
The bottom line is that smart offices should be tailored to answer the needs of the company and employees. What you need to do is change your office design to improve the way people work.